richardson



(No Model.) 5 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

. 0. RICHARDSON.

KNOGKDOWN PACKAGE 0R BARREL.

Patented Aug. 28, 1894.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR m Hm I I .1 Q B),

ATTORNEY.

(No Model.)

KNOCKDOWN PACKAGE OR BARREL.

No. 525,158. Patentd Aug. 28, 1894.

SLEFI I i WITNESSES" lNVEfl/TOH UNITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE.

OHARLESRIOHARDSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE QUEEN CITY VENTILATED BARREL AND BASKET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

KNOGKD'FOWN PACKAGE 0R BARREL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters late nt No. 525,15 s, dated August 28, 1894. A

' Application'filed February 2,1894. Serial No. 498.939. (Emmet) T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES RICHARDSON,

larly in that particular class of articles which are constructed with jointed staves which are held togetherwith hoops or hands so as to I of considerable size and strength, and is placed at the proper distance from the ends of the staves to form thetruss or bilge hoops,

give the barrel or keg a bilge. Hitherto it has been necessary in making this class of receptacles to employ 'not' only end hoops to draw in the ends of the staves to form the bilge and to hold the heads in place, but it .has'also been necessary to employ truss or bilge hoops to give additional strength and rigidity to the package. On the other hand I am aware that barrels and kegs have been constructed withwire hoopsor bands to take .the place .of the'truss or bilge hoops, constructed in various ways; but in none of these uses made either of wire hoops or in the use of woven wood-and-wire barrel fabric has it been possible to construct a bilge barrel or a barrel with substantially tight joints. The

article as manufactured by me overcomes all of these difiiculties by employing a newand improved slat weave and method of joining which enables meto provide as an article of manufacture a bilge barrel or keg and also a knocki-down barrel or keg.

To show my constructiomreference is atonce hadto the accompanying drawings,in=

Figure I is a per'spectiveviewof my inven tion. Fig. II is a'vertical-sectional cross section of the same. Fig. III is an enlarged detail section showing the edge of a stave and the application of the wire weave. Fig. IV is an enlarged View of a portion of thebarrel showing the method of securing the'ends of the wire. Fig. V is an enlarged view of a complete section of the fabric ready to be trussed into shape to form a barrel.

Like letters refer to the drawings.

A, A, are the tapered staves of which the.

barrel is constructed, n which the staves are jointed in the usual well-known manner.

B, B, Fig. II are the heads inserted in the usual form, and O, O, are the end hoops provided in the usual form.

D, D, are the exterior steel 'wire hoops or bands which serve the purpose of bilge or truss hoops.

E, E, are the small,pliable wires by means of which the staves are woven togetherin the manner hereinafter described.

The wire D, is preferably a rigid steel wire and at right angles to the length of the staves. The pliable wire,-E,isthen by propel mechanism turned about the wire D, as clearly shown in Figs. III and V, a single turn and then is carried across the inside of the stave to the opposite edge, where it again makesaturn over the edge of the stave and about the wire D, and thence back and across the 111- i ner side of the next succeeding stave, and then about the wire D again, and so on. In this manner the fabric is woven. But an 1m-' proved feature mustbe here noted, which is,

like parts throughout body wire that it will not slip or slide upon j V the body wire. v This is an essential feature in enabling me to construct-a bilge barrel. A sufficient quantity of staves having been woven together in this manner to constitute a package the staves being incontact w1th each other at their central or middle portions, 7 but separated towardtheir ends, by-reason of their being tapered, asshown -in-Fig. V, the fabric is then bent into a cylindrical form j approaching the shape of a barrel. The ends of the body wire, D,'are allowed to project at both ends of the fabric a distance of a trifle less than the width of an ordinary barrel stave, the ends are out upon a bevel or chamfered to give them a point, as shown at (Z, d, Fig. IV. These free ends are bent at a right angle and in such amanner that when the fabric is placed in form the bent ends will lie fiat upon the surface of the staves, or nearly so, so that the ends will have a tendency to engage in the surface of the stave. The fabric thus placed in a cylindrical form is placed upon an ordinary trussing frame and the ends of the staves are brought together in the usual form to engage the heads, B, B, and are secured by ordinary hoops, O, O. In this process it will be at once seen that the truss or bilge hoops, in the process of drawing in the ends, must have a slightly smaller diameter when the ends are drawn in; and here the improvement of the U loop formed by the turn of the wire E, is seen. For in order that the diameter of the barrel may be reduced in trussing, not only at the ends but at the points mid way upon the staves which are occupied by the truss or bilge hoops, the wire D must be free to slip or slide within the loops in order that the staves may come together upon their jointed edges to form a tight joint. It is apparent that the free ends of the body wire, D, will thusbe forced slightly farther outward, giving them a slightly longer lap, as shown in Fig. IV. The free ends of the flexible wire will then be upon the inside of the barrel, which are first twisted together, and with a stroke of the hammer are bent down out of the way. The bent ends of the body wire, D, as they overlap each other are tucked under the body of the wire and are driven into place as shown in Fig. IV, and the pointed ends will engage slightly in the body of the staves, sufiiciently to hold them in place and to make a smooth surface, and yet not sufficiently to puncture the stave.

It is apparent that by a substantial reversal of the operation in putting the barrel together, the same may be knocked down so as to lie flat, thus aifording great economy both in storing and shipping. And it is apparent that in this way a single article may be repeatedly set up and knocked down, thus increasing the life and use of the article several times over that of an ordinary barrel.

Another feature of my improvement is, that by using small and tough pliable wire, and employing the U loop as described, and by having staves well jointed and end hoops of sufficient strength, I am able to construct a substantially water tight barrel or keg.

I do not herein claim broadly the weave described which consists of the employment of the body wire and the pliable wire engaging with the slat or stave, nor do I claim the process of manufacture of wood-and-wire fabric of this character, nor do I claim broadly the construction of a barrel having wire hoops; but

What I do claim is- 1. A knock-down barrel or pack-age consisting of jointed staves, body wires constitutlng the truss or bilge hoops and secured to said staves by pliable wires taking over the edges and inside of the staves and forming a Sllding U loop about the truss or bilge hoops between each two staves, substantially as described.

2. A fabric for making barrels, &c., consisting of tapering staves, wires adapted to constitute encircling bands or hoops, extending transversely across the tapering portions of the staves, and the pliable weave wires which connect the staves to the hoop wires, the said weave wires being U -looped to the hoop wires, whereby they are free to slide thereon, substantially as set forth.

3. Afabric for making barrels, &c., consisting of staves, wires adapted to constitute the bands or hoops, extending transversely across the staves, the ends of the wires being bent at substantially right angles to the main or body parts thereof, and the pliable weave wires which connect the staves to the said hoop or band wires, the said weave wires being U-looped to the hoop wires, whereby they are free to slide thereon substantially as set forth.

4.. A knock-down barrel or package consisting of tapering staves, hoop wires extending around the staves at their tapered portions and the weave wires which connect the staves to the hoop wires, having the loose and sliding connections with the hoop wires whereby the staves and the weave wires are free to move relative .to the hoop wires when the package or barrel is set up, substantially as set forth.

5. A knock-down barrel or package consistin g of jointed staves, wire truss or bilge hoops, and a pliable weave or connecting wire, uniting the staves to the wire truss or bilge hoops, the said weave wires being looped around the wires constituting the said hoops, whereby they are free to slide thereon, and their ends being secured together upon the inside of the package or barrel, the ends of the truss or bilge hoops being secured upon the outside of the barrel, substantially as set forth.

6. A knock-down barrel or package consistin g of the jointed tapering staves, the bilge or truss hoops D, D of wire, the end hoops, the head, and the connecting or weave wires E, by which the staves are secured to the hoops D, D, the wires E passing around the hoops D, in U-shaped loops, whereby the Wires are free to slide upon the said hoops, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES RICHARDSON Witnesses:

J. C. ALMENDINGER, B. O. OANDEE. 

